Hogwarts School for Huntsmen and Huntresses
by Luxarya
Summary: When Ruby Rose performs a feat of extraordinary accidental magic she gets brought to Hogwarts a year early- just in time to join her sister and a charming (and varied) bunch of fellow young witches and wizards. (A dearth of Harry Potter AUs is right up my alley to fix. I can't promise these will be in 100% chronological order but each chapter will be appropriately labelled.)
1. Chapter 1- Ruby Rose

She had been desperately trying to keep it in- she knew accidental magic wasn't supposed to be like this. She'd seen Yang explode a couple of time but this? _This_ was off the scale of weirdness- even for witches and wizards.

Her last thought before slipping into unconsciousness was pretty dumb in hindsight, but it was still sort of valid, even now.

 _What sort of accidental magic freezes a charging hippogriff?_

It turned out that there _was_ a limit to how powerful a spout of accidental magic could be before the Ministry _had_ to get involved. Apparently, there were some things that couldn't be ignored or swept under the rug, _even_ by the Ministry.

Although, judging by the contingent that had turned up at Taiyang Xiao Long's house it was a rare enough occurrence that it warranted an in person visit from both the new Head Auror, James Ironwood, and the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Ozpin. And he wasn't dumb enough to presume that Glynda was there to provide the caring, emotional support for Ruby- _maybe that was Ironwood's job_ , he thought with a chuckle.

He led the trio of some of the most influential witches and wizards in the current Wizarding World into his livingroom, where Ruby sat fidgeting with her hands and guarded by her staunch protector Yang, standing at her shoulder. She had been the only witness to the event but even after the tremendous display of power from her younger sister she refused to let anyone near her. The letter from the Ministry had only solidified her position as Ruby's guard- a lack of a wand wouldn't stop her from at least attempting to get a good couple of punches in, Taiyang smirked- she was definitely his daughter. Purebloods never saw the right hooks coming, Muggles were amazing sometimes.

Ozpin was the first of the strangers to enter the room, thankfully he was also wearing the warmest expression- bending down a comfortable distance from the fidgety girl and subjected her to one of his intense stares.

No-one spoke while he observed her, the room silent until:

"Ruby Rose… you have silver eyes…" He took a small breath before continuing, "You have your mother's eyes."

The girl lost all her nervous energy as she channelled it into one of her favourite pastimes- gushing about her mum.

"Yeah, just like my mum! I wanna be just like her when I grow up!" She mimed firing off spells with a wand, "Catching the bad guys and saving the day!"

Despite the gravity of the situation, all of the adults in the room momentarily found that smiles had worked their way onto their faces, but the mood grew sombre once they remembered the fate- and what led her to it- of the woman the young girl wanted to emulate.

Ozpin moved passed his darker thoughts and gave a small chuckle at Ruby's enthusiasm, turning to Ironwood who leant against the wall.

"Well it looks like you have a future candidate James, I hope you'll save a space for her on your squad."

The Head Auror's steely face softened as he looked down at the now grinning child, desperately whispering _please_ repeatedly under her breath. For once he decided to be gentle.

"If she's good enough I won't have to save a spot- she'll earn it," Ruby looked close to bursting at his statement, her excitement enough to encourage him further, "And if she's anything like her mother, she'll be more than good."

His final statement set Ruby off as she leapt into the air in a shower of rose petals, then proceeded to float back down as she continued to shed more. The blatant display of pure magical power manifesting itself in such a complex and unique way reminded the adults of their reason for being in the small home. Glynda cleared her throat.

"If you are through trying to recruit a 10-year-old-"

"10 and 2 months."

The Deputy Headmistress looked down at the girl, "- Excuse me?"

She was met by a toothy smile that was missing a couple of the pearly whites, "I'm 10 and 2 months."

"I see," Glynda did not look impressed, "May I remind you all that we are here to assess Miss Rose's aptitude for magic and her ability to control said magic?"

Both Ozpin and Ironwood looked cowed by the reminder from the stern professor.

"Ahem yes well, it is clear that this young witch is full of potential," The Headmaster said as he turned back to the waiting girl and knelt down to her level, staring into her silver eyes, big and inquisitive and so much like the ones he first saw all those years ago.

"Her accidental magic is proving to be more unmanageable than any other case we've seen in the past, hmmm," he sucked in a breath as he thought back over recent cases, "I'd say the past century." A sharp inhale from behind Ruby brought his attention to her sister, "Yes even more unmanageable than yours, Miss Xiao Long. Although burning down a small hut after being punched in the face is definitely a unique way for your magic to manifest." He finished with a chuckle and a nod of his head at the blonde girl, before turning back to the matter at hand.

"Since your magic is so strong, we feel there is only one option that will keep you safe: Miss Rose, would you like to come to Hogwarts?"

A sharp intake of breath came from the side as her father took in the news, however, Yang let out a breath, relaxing as she heard the offer- as if before she had thought that the three adults had come to take away her sister.

But the individual in front of him never lost her grin, in fact it only widened as she realised her dreams were coming true- a whole year early.

"More than anything Professor Ozpin."

The professor's glasses slid down his nose as he nodded again, revealing his twinkling eyes before pushing them- and himself- up and spinning around in a surprisingly fluid motion for a man with a cane to face the adults of the room. Despite knowing what Ozpin had _said_ he was going to do, Ironwood and Goodwitch still looked shocked that he had actually gone through with it. And if they looked shocked then Taiyang was dumbfounded. Ozpin motioned to the shell-shocked father and gestured for him to follow him out of the room, leaving as he heard the shaking man tell his girls to stay put before moving out of the room himself.

"Taiyang I-" Ozpin was interrupted by a squeal of delight from inside the room.

"Oh, I can't believe my little sister is coming to Hogwarts with me! This is gonna be awesome!"

A muffled, "Yang I can't breathe", filtered through the doorway after the exclamation and the sounds of his daughters celebrating seemed to relax Taiyang. A lull in the noise allowed Ozpin to continue.

"Taiyang I know this will be difficult for you but I fear if we do not manage to control her magical powers somewhere safe, sometime soon, there could be catastrophic consequences. You have heard of some of the things that have happened to young children who cannot control their magic, yes?" His tone was sombre as he recalled some of the dreadful events caused by scared and emotional young witches and wizards. "At Hogwarts she'll be safe to channel her powers into her work, supervised by the best teachers available."

Taiyang nodded in agreement before finding his voice, "But she'll be going so young… how will she cope?" His eyes were weary as he looked at his old professor.

The Headmaster placed his hand on his shoulder, "Yes she's over a year and a half younger than Yang but remember that Yang will be one of the oldest in her year. Ruby will be only 8 months younger than the next youngest person in the year; she was due to come to Hogwarts next year anyway, this way we can keep her safe."

The sullen father nodded at the undeniable truth and sighed, accepting what had to happen.

"Okay, I'll get her prepared," there was some reluctance in his voice as he spoke, "It's just… I wasn't ready to let her go so soon."

This time it was Ironwood who stepped forward, half throwing his hand forward to pat the man awkwardly on the shoulder before hesitating halfway and settling for clasping his hands behind him.

"I know Tai, just know that this is the best option for Ruby. She'll be the youngest witch to enter Hogwarts in over a century- she's special."

Another sigh left Taiyang, "That's what I'm worried about."

None of the officials knew how to respond to that, each one caught up with memories of the last _special witch_ in the troubled man's life. Summer Rose was gone far too soon for any of them to deal with properly- gone but never forgotten, the hole she left behind unfillable. And, although they would never dare say it aloud, some thoughts flickered back even further to the shadow of another woman from Taiyang's past, the only remnants of her manifesting in the other celebrating girl in the living room. Glynda could tell that their lingering presence was not going to help the man at all, so she pulled out the familiar and famous letter addressed to _Ruby Rose_.

"I'm sure you know the drill, I look forward to seeing both Ruby and Yang on the first of September- it was lovely to see you again Taiyang." With a final reassuring smile, she turned and ushered her two companions out the front door.

Closing the door behind them, Taiyang wished- not for the first time and most certainly not for the last time- that Summer or even Raven could be here- he was not cut out for raising two girls. Inside the living room, the aforementioned hyper girls babbled about Hogwarts as they pushed their father to tell them stories about his own time there. He relented with only a slightly forced grin as he began their favourite one; the one where Qrow got on the wrong side of the giant squid of course.

As the trio walked to the edge of the property to Apparate away Glynda smiled wryly at the Head Auror.

"I knew you had a heart in there somewhere James, I'm sure Miss Rose will live up to your expectations."

And with that she twisted into the night, leaving Ozpin to chuckle and Ironwood to grumble as they followed her lead, disappearing from the warm Patch air to somewhere undoubtedly cooler.


	2. Chapter 2- The Sorting

Jaune wasn't having the greatest day- sure he was on his way to becoming a wizard but that didn't stop you from having a bad day when you were one of the clumsiest guys on the planet. He'd already almost fallen in the massive lake they'd had to cross to get to the castle, only being saved from a cold bath by the nice red-headed girl he'd met on the train- Pyrrha, if he remembered correctly. But any hope for a quiet rest of the journey was shattered by the pretty white haired girl screeching at him for almost capsizing the boat.

And then he felt the seasickness hit him.

That blonde girl had _really_ not appreciated being in the splash zone…

And now that he had actually managed to physically get to Hogwarts without dying he was unlucky enough to be the first one Sorted. How unfair was life? The first one to be sorted and the first one to be sent home for being a Squib if the way his day had been going was any indication. He still hadn't shown much in the way of magic before his letter had arrived, confirming his place at the prestigious school and- if he was being completely honest with himself- he still hadn't felt any more " _magical_ " since.

Still, he shuffled forward dutifully when his name had been called by the scary looking blonde witch, nearly tripping over his ridiculous robes- seriously Muggle clothes were the way forward, his mum was right- before he managed to plonk himself down on the provided stool in the full view of the entire school. He sat dumbly, waiting for something to happen.

Then the whole world went black.

 _Well, well, well, an Arc. I haven't seen one of you in a while._ Was hearing voices a magical talent or had he just lost it? _Oh dear you_ are _a sheltered one, did your parents not prepare you for this? Am I correct in thinking you are a Halfblood?_ Jaune nodded. _And your father was an Arc?_ He nodded again. _Hmm,_ very _different from your father and grandfather. I can see you were… otherwise occupied during the introduction so I'll keep it short: as you know I am the Sorting Hat and I place you into one of the four Houses that will be your home and family for the next seven years. At least your parents thought to tell you that… But I think I can see the place you will flourish with "a little help from your friends"._ The Sorting Hat took an unnecessarily deep breath into its nonexistent lungs before making his announcement. _Jaune Arc you will be in:_

HUFFLEPUFF!

The Hat was yanked off his head, the light from a thousand candles blinding him as he was nudged towards the roaring yellow and black table- sitting down in a daze before he realised that he had somehow sat down in a shadow. Looking up, the tallest boy Jaune had ever seen reached out with a massive hand to clap his shoulder.

"Hello. I'm Yatsuhashi and welcome to Hufflepuff."

* * *

"Sage Anyana."

Professor Goodwitch called a second boy up to the stool- this one looking infinitely more confident than the last. Blake knew that each Sorting was different- _Hogwarts a History_ had said so- but this time the hat was on the boy's head for what could only have been 10 seconds before it hissed out _SLYTHERIN!_

From the moment she had been told she was a witch her whole life had suddenly made sense and she immediately began to research this whole new world that she was being thrust into by reading anything and everything she could get her hands on. _Really though, would a couple of summer classes for Muggleborns be_ that _hard to implement?_ Wizards didn't seem to be big on the whole "equal opportunities" thing- judging by some of the looks she'd gotten when she'd been exchanging her Muggle money into the absurd Wizarding currency. _What had the metric system ever done to them?_ Anyway, Blake had thought it better to be over prepared than underprepared in this case, and she had reread the book on the train trying to brush up on some of the more… _unusual_ … parts of the school's architecture. Well, before she'd been interrupted anyway...

While the tall boy sauntered over to the green-clad table- receiving understated applause from his house unlike the whistles from Hufflepuff- Blake took in the room. Magical didn't begin to describe the massive hall, despite it literally being magical.

"Blake Belladonna."

Unused to the robes she was wearing she stumbled slightly as she pushed her way to the front of the queue, not quite managing to get all the way there without her foot catching on something. Luckily the blonde girl who had burst into her compartment on the train- _Yang_ , if she remembered correctly- caught her mid-fall, a sympathetic smile on her face as she set Blake back on her feet and sent her on her way with a pat on the back.

Blake ascended the steps to the stool, turned to face the assembled students and cringed slightly; she had never been one for being the centre of attention after all, and the stares were unnerving. As the Hat came to a rest on her head- neatly slipping over the bow that was her constant companion since childhood- she understood why that Jaune boy had jumped.

A voice talking directly into your head was a bit unnerving after all.

 _Blake Belladonna_ , the Hat pondered the name as it spoke, _are you sure there are no wizards in your family? Or have Muggles just gotten more poetic with their naming over the years?_ Blake had no response to a question like that and remained silent. Not that she could speak given how petrified she was at that moment. _Hmm, nevermind then, let's see, loyal, brave- in particular, willing to stand up for what you think is right, no ambition just yet but I think with some focus you could be formidable, no? Aha, here we are- smart, witty, big reader and- oh my that's a nice dark streak of humour. Barty does appreciate sarcasm so it has to be:_

 _RAVENCLAW!_

Having just had her life and personality cross-examined by a hat, it was fair to say that Blake was a little off kilter as she got up on shaky legs and headed to the cheering blue and bronze table. It was nice of them to give her help to work out which one was hers. She sat down right next to a girl with impossibly long brown hair and a welcoming smile.

"Hiya Blake, don't be too scared now, Ravenclaw's a great place," she leant in conspiratorily, "We have way more fun than the other houses think we do."

Relaxing in the older girl's presence Blake finally found her voice, no matter how quiet it was.

"Even for Muggleborns?"

Impossibly Velvet's smile got even kinder as she pulled the younger girl in for a hug.

"Especially for Muggleborns."

* * *

"Dew Gayle." _HUFFLEPUFF!_

Pyrrha knew her name was coming up soon as she once again rehearsed what she was going to say.

"Sky Lark."

An unremarkable boy strode forward but she knew the name from one of her parent's parties.

She knew quite a few of the names.

 _GRYFFINDOR!_

It seemed like there were a lot of Purebloods this year- definitely not what she wanted- the more Muggleborns the merrier in her opinion. Despite pleading with her parents to go to Beauxbatons, where she might have a chance to remain slightly anonymous, they'd opted to send her here.

Here where her name was like a spotlight. Facing straight at her.

"Pyrrha Nikos." The hall went silent.

Of course it did. When your parents start training you to be a duelist before you even enter school you start to get talked about. When you start to win duels against older opponents, that's when you start to get famous. The duels were completely illegal of course, but that didn't stop Ministry officials watching and betting and even joining in on the odd drunken occasion, even while some of their colleagues struggled to get them stopped. As the old saying goes, "What Purebloods want, Purebloods get." It helped that her parents were more than rich enough to pay off any official that stepped on too many toes.

Pyrrha hated all of it. And this was her chance to do something about it.

Still, with the spotlight shining down upon her she plastered on her most gracious smile and strode forward- she knew what to do here.

The Hat was quick off the mark once she was seated. _Pyrrha Nikos- obviously Sl- wait- you do not want to join the House almost your entire family has been in for years?_ Pyrrha was sure. This was the best way to break free of her family's hold- it wasn't that she didn't love them, she did. But sorting people into Houses based on their family was even dumber than sorting people into Houses based on their personality when they were 11. The hat recoiled slightly. _Rude._ Sorry. _You'll find there's a bit more magic in me than what meets the eye, but you are not the first person to tell me that, not by a long shot._ She sighed, glad that she hadn't angered the object making a massive decision that would impact the rest of her life. _So not Slytherin then?_ Nope, she thought, anywhere else. _No matter where you go Miss Nikos you will do great things, even in Slytherin. But never let it be said that I don't take into account personal opinions, especially ones as strong as yours._ Thank you. _Now, where to put you- smart enough for Ravenclaw but I don't feel like you would fit in there; more than kind enough Hufflepuff but they wouldn't push you. Frankly trying to overturn centuries of prejudice is more than ambitious enough for Slytherin but if you are going to be pushed to your limits there is only one House for you:_

 _GRYFFINDOR!_

The whole hall sat in a moment of shocked silence as the first Nikos in 30 years was sorted anywhere but Slytherin- and maybe even first Nikos ever to be sorted into Gryffindor- hopped down the stairs with a genuine smile gracing her face. The first genuine smile she's had in quite a while.

 _This was going to be great._

* * *

Ren wasn't quite sure what to make of all of it, all he knew was that he was glad to have Nora with him for all of it. Though in hindsight it _did_ partially answer the question of how Nora and he always ended up together no matter what tried to pull them apart- like magnets.

Or like magic, he supposed that was the correct term, now that he knew it actually existed.

"Lie Ren."

As his name was called he reluctantly moved forward to the stool next to where Professor Goodwitch stood with the patchy old hat. He sat down, catching a glimpse of Nora grinning and sending him a double thumbs up, calming his nerves slightly.

 _Hmm, you've had a hard life._ Thank you for pointing that out. _I see you've spent a lot of time with Miss Valkyrie over the years- balancing your personalities so to speak. However, maybe it's finally time for you both to get a little bit of space._ What?! _Don't worry, it will not be a permanent split- I don't think you two ever be pulled apart- but there's only one place for a studious young man like you to go:_

 _RAVENCLAW!_

On the way to his cheering, new housemates he caught Nora's eye and tried to smile, ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach.

He hoped wherever she ended up she wouldn't be too far away.

* * *

This was it. This was what she'd been waiting for from the moment she'd understood what she was. This was her first step to being the best witch she could be- maybe even the first step on her journey to becoming an Auror.

In short, this was the first step to the rest of Ruby Rose's life.

Hogwarts was so cool! Her dad hadn't told her everything since he "Didn't want to spoil anything for her" and she had to concede this one, Hogwarts was breathtaking. Her general enthusiasm for her education was only increased by the fact that Yang, the best big sister in the world, was here experiencing it right along with her. Sure, she hadn't exactly been over the moon about the whole Younger Sister Clinging To Her Side thing, but she'd still defended her from that scary white haired girl on the train when it mattered. Ruby honestly hadn't meant to knock over her suitcases- it had been a complete accident as she distractedly searched for Yang- but the girl, _Weiss Schnee_ she'd screeched, hadn't seen it like that. Five minutes into the lecture Yang had found her and managed to pull her away from the ranting girl, helped by the chaos of an explosion from further down the train.

"Ruby Rose."

Oh boy, this was it! Clutching the red scarf, that she'd begged Professor Goodwitch to keep, she moved forward, brushing passed Weiss and paying no attention her _hmmph_ as she bounded up to the Hat. She heard a cheer- probably Yang- as the Hat fell past her ears.

Hello! _Now this, this is interesting: the youngest student to enter Hogwarts in over a century._ Yep! _And an enthusiastic one at that, you are going to be a very special student Miss Rose._ Ruby sagged, I don't want to be special though, I just want to be normal. The Hat chuckled, _I think it may be too late for that now Miss Rose- you have an interesting life ahead of you. I'm afraid Ravenclaw might not be a good fit for you. And I don't think you really have the ambition and cunning to really thrive in Slytherin, say what do you want to do?_ Ruby thought about it for a second before settling on her answer- I want to help people, like the heroes do. _A noble pursuit- you certainly could be brave enough for Gryffindor but you are driven by a much different desire than glory. If don't want to stand out maybe Gryffindor isn't the place for you- the best place for you is the place you can be allowed to help people._

 _So just like your mother, the best place for you Miss Rose is:_

 _HUFFLEPUFF!_

The Hat was lifted off her head as she leapt down to run to her table. Above all the noise she could hear Yang hollering and cheering for her, even from the other side of the hall her sister had her back, and so with a smile, she sat down next to the blonde boy who had been sorted first.

 _Wait_ , wasn't he the one that threw up earlier?

 _Ew._

* * *

Little did Ruby know that the teachers' smiles were tinged with sadness as they remembered another young Hufflepuff girl with a scarf and each one prayed that this girl would not meet the same fate as her mother, taken too soon from her family.

* * *

Honestly, who was letting these idiots into Hogwarts? Maybe Weiss should have pressed to go to Beauxbatons like Winter had- no, no, she was _father's heir_ and father needed his heir to go to Hogwarts to make connections. That was her job, that was her _duty._ Not that it was going to be an easy job either- with the clumsy Hufflepuff duo of Vomit Boy and the just sorted Ruby Rose already ruining her day. And that wasn't even considering Pyrrha throwing her to the wolves by getting herself sorted to Gryffindor of all places! _What happened to the plan they had discussed at the last gathering before their arrival here?_

"Weiss Schnee."

She tossed her hair over her shoulder as she strutted up to the stool, _shoulders back Weiss, Schnees do not slump_ , her father's voice was inescapable even hundreds of miles away from him. She pushed that thought from her head as she daintily perched herself on the stool and waited for the hat to descend.

She immediately recoiled as the hat touched her hair- how many people have worn this thing? _An awful lot Miss Schnee, including plenty of your ancestors- although I haven't had a Schnee is quite some time. I'm hurt your sister never decided to join us here._ Weiss rolled her eyes, can we get on with this? _Oh of course your highness._ It's heiress actually, she couldn't stop herself from correcting the Hat and if hats could snort, this one did- _This might just be the easiest sorting I've had all evening, I suppose you can't all be interesting like Miss Nikos. Miss Schnee, the only place for you is the House of your father before you:_

 _SLYTHERIN!_

Weiss had thought she would be happy after her sorting; it had been a done deal had it not? No surprises for her. But that had been before Pyrrha had gone to Gryffindor and before the Hat had reminded her of what the legacy the Schnees and Slytherin had passed down to her. Still, she plastered on her smug smirk as she sat down at the table of her ancestors, settling beside the girl she knew to be Gwen Darcy- the only other first year Slytherin girl. As she was about to introduce herself- no time like the present to start making allies- she was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder. Turning to shout at the person who dared to touch her she stopped immediately once she realised who it was.

"Coco!"

Her older friend smirked at her before speaking.

"Good to see you joined the home of the ambitious, always knew you could do it, kid."

She was right, Weiss _could_ do it, couldn't she? She was a Schnee but that didn't mean she had to be her father- she could be a Schnee _and_ be Weiss. She could change anything she wanted.

* * *

Watching Ren get sorted stirred up mixed emotions in Nora, she'd never spent long away from Ren since they'd first met and she would hate to break their streak for this.

"Nora Valkyrie."

As her name was called she ignored the butterflies in her stomach as she strode forward, eyes glued on the stool. Seconds before Professor Goodwitch brought the Hat down she caught Ren's eye and returned his tentative smile- then a brown hat brim filled Nora's vision and suddenly a voice resounded through her head.

 _Just like Mister Lie, the dedication is mutual_. Well, we have been together for years, Nora mentally caught herself, not "together-together" you see, but- _Yes I see. However, it might be time for you to spend some time apart, no?_ What? _Not "apart-apart" to use your phrasing but there's only one place that you will fit in- you wear your heart on your sleeve, Miss Valkyrie and you're ready to charge in headfirst into problems._ Nora was shocked, this was not what she had been expecting- but what about Ren? _I do not think there is any force in this world, Muggle or Magical, that could keep you truly apart. Do not worry, be brave, for you will be spending the next seven years of your life in:_

 _GRYFFINDOR!_

The moment the hat was removed from her head she sought out Ren at his place at the Ravenclaw table, giving him a tight smile before moving off to the hollering Gryffindor table. She sat down opposite a tall red-headed girl who smiled at her.

"Don't worry if your friend's in another house, you'll see him all the time. You're a Muggleborn right?" Nora nodded mutely, perhaps the first time she's been unable to find words since she'd met Ren. "My name's Pyrrha and think we're going to have a grand time."

* * *

Being the last one to be sorted wasn't a problem for Yang Xiao Long, although she _was_ a little bit bored and hungry. In actual fact being the centre of attention was something she enjoyed- her dad had sent her to Muggle school ( _Summer_ had been the driving force though) and she had always been the centre of anything. Just the way she liked it. Honestly? Being last just meant she had to finish big. Go out with a _Yang_.

"And finally, Yang Xiao Long."

A blonde boy had just bounded over to the Gryffindor table, a huge grin on his face as he joined the applauding red and gold table. Showing no hesitation, she strode over to the stool and gave a thumbs up to the Professor, who rolled her eyes and plonked the old… dirty… well-worn hat on her perfect hair.

Eurgh! How many people have worn this thing? _You may be unsurprised to find out that that is a very common question Miss Xiao Long, in fact, you aren't even the first one to ask me that tonight_. Okay, fine can we get on with this then? We aren't all hats- some of us need to eat. _You would either get on very well with Miss Schnee or you would both curse the other one- either way it would be very interesting. So maybe Slytherin to help you reach your true potential, like your mother?_

Yang's heart stopped. Her mother had been in Slytherin? When she received her letter she had expected her father to react with pride or excitement, not a smile tinged with resignation. She hadn't spoken to her father for weeks after he revealed the truth about her real parentage, only tentatively mending bridges at Ruby's pleading. Yang only knew vague details about her mother, her father unwilling to tell her more and Qrow unavailable for comment due to whatever his job had him doing now. But Raven was his sister, he must be able to tell her more- they were from an old pureblood family the-

 _The Branwens, yes. Xiao Long and Branwen blood runs through you- a volatile combination but perhaps judging you by your parents does not do you justice, you are your own person after all, a strong, caring and brave person. Much like your sister, it's a natural choice between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor for you- well there's not actually really a choice here. Say sorry to Glynda from me, will you?_ Yang grinned, finally liking the way this was going. _I think I have given her quite a lot of work to do-_ _Miss Xiao Long I place you in:_

 _GRYFFINDOR!_

Before Goodwitch could even think to grab the Hat from her head, Yang stood up and lifted the Hat off her head, giving a dramatic bow- the Gryffindor table roaring with laughter as she turned to present the Hat to an unamused Goodwitch.

"The Hat says sorry Professor, something about _'having your work cut out for you'_ or something?" She sent off her most facetious grin, "I don't have a _clue_ what it could possibly mean." Knowing _exactly_ what the Hat had meant she went on her way and sat down amongst her new housemates.

The blonde boy from before her reached across the table first.

"Sun Wukong, Muggleborn and uh- I don't really know what else to say here. This whole wizard thing kinda came outta the left field."

As he scratched the back of his head a familiar looking ginger girl, who was sitting next to him looking rather glum, gave a commiserating sigh.

"I get what you mean, I'm Nora and-"

Yang suddenly realised where she'd seen her before.

"You threw that firework at Weiss Schnee on the train!" She leant across the table to raise her hand for a high five, "That was hilarious- I can already tell we're gonna be good friends."

Pyrrha Nikos- _the_ Pyrrha Nikos _sitting_ _right next to Yang, incredible_ \- was startled by the sudden change in the topic.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Nora grinned.

"To be fair, I didn't exactly _know_ it was a firework," she shrugged her shoulders and smiled, "Wizards should name things better- that's how people get hurt."

Suddenly a boy sitting slightly further along the bench turned into their conversation.

"Hi, the name's Fox Alistair, a third year who is clearly going to have a great time this year." Nora, Sun and Yang cheered in unison while Pyrrha looked like she was slightly regretting some of her life choices.

* * *

Ozpin looked down at all the first years settling into their new places amongst their peers- they were certainly an interesting bunch this year. From Miss Valkyrie waving at Mr Lie across the room to Miss Nikos happily sitting at the Gryffindor table while Miss Schnee looked slightly lost at the Slytherin table without her. The sister act of Miss Xiao Long and Miss Rose were happily integrating with their respective houses as the Ravenclaw first years sat quietly, taking in their surroundings.

Yes, this group will be a group to watch.


End file.
